The Frenzy

September 27, 2010
Having offered her twist on the vampire mythos in Pretty Dead, Block sets her sights on lycanthropy. When Liv turned 13, she knew she had changed, but not "what I had become." The hair that grows all over her body and her inner rage still mark her as different four years later, but it takes a mysterious woman living in the forest to tell her what she is, and why she has been cursed with "the frenzy." Readers can enjoy this book both as a chilling fantasy and as a compelling identity quest—because of race, sexuality, and Liv's "change," neither she, her best friend Pace, nor her secret boyfriend, Corey, can live openly. The hot, sticky summer and smalltown setting lend to the book's ambience—as do other creepy touches, such as a local craftsman who makes artisanal prosthetic limbs. Not all these turns will captivate readers: a suggested tragic romance involving Pace and a ghost feels underdeveloped. But Block enthusiasts—and fantasy fans in general—will find a mix of imagination and emotional honesty worth sinking their teeth into. Ages 14–up.

December 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-Liv went through more than mere pubescent changes on her 13th birthday, and as time goes on, she only feels like her true self when she is in the woods. While struggling to determine what really happened to her that fateful night, Liv, now 17, also grapples with being estranged from her parents, dating a boy they would not approve of, and keeping her best friend's secrets. Once she learns the truth-that she is a werewolf-Liv must determine where she really fits. Does she belong with her pack or can she make things work with the guy she loves? While many of the werewolf traits are reminiscent of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series (Little, Brown), the similarities end there. Block's focus is not so much on the fact that Liv is a werewolf, but rather on how she deals with this information and how it impacts those she cares about. There are issues of friendship, difficulties with parents, questions about a love relationship, and even an underlying mystery about a string of serial murders that take place in Liv's beloved woods. Block does a nice job of weaving all these elements into a solid story that makes a quick but engaging read for fans of supernatural fiction. Reluctant readers will enjoy this story as well because of its pacing and manageable chapters.-Gina Bowling, South Gibson County High School, Medina, TN

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Grades 9-12 Red-haired Olivia doesnt look like her parents and is locked in typical teen struggles with their values. But things arent normal otherwise. Livs hair is embarrassingly rich on every part of her bodyeven her toesand her police-chief dad hasnt been able to solve the brutal murders of four hunters in the local woods. Readers will figure out that Liv is a werewolf several chapters before she does, and Blocks spin on modern werewolf lore includes a dose of small-minded, small-town meanness that Livwith a black boyfriend, a gay best friend who commits suicide, and a mom who is fashion sensitive and emotionally shallowmust deal with. From another writer, this would be passing fare for the magical-creature hungry, but missing here are Blocks insouciant and pithy dialogue, her usual stellar balancing of scene and action, and other hallmarks that readers adore inand expect fromher writing. Werewolf fans will accept this, as will those who consume anything by a favorite author, but this is a mere a gateway to Blocks more creative titles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)